Built with advanced technologies, modern work machines can have large power-to-weight ratios and/or operate at high speed. High speed or large power-to-weight ratios may cause increased vibration of the work machines and/or vibration of various parts of the work machines. An operator of a modern work machine may be exposed to such vibration, which may be measured as hand-arm vibration and whole body vibration.
Whole body vibration, which may be transmitted to the entire human body, may have adverse health effects on the operator under a prolonged exposure. Whole body vibration measurement techniques have been recently developed to measure whole body vibration on a human body. For example, Vibration Analysis ToolSet, as described in Comprehensive Human Vibration Analysis Solution, measures human vibrations for whole body analysis by using standable components. Such analysis tools, however, often measure vibration exposure using extra components and, thus, may be impractical to be used to address work machine related vibration exposures.
Recognizing the risks of vibration exposure, the European Union has adopted a new directive, 2002/44/EC, “on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from physical agents (vibration),” the physical agents directive (PAD), to establish limits for whole body vibration. To comply with these limits, there is a need for PAD compliant measurement equipment to monitor work machine related vibration exposure.
Methods and systems consistent with certain features of the disclosed systems are directed to solving one or more of the problems set forth above.